Telugu wedding

ceremony

The Telugu Hindu wedding ceremony

(Telugu:  లుగు హ డుక, Telugu Vivāha
Vēḍuka  ? )[1] is the traditional wedding
ceremony of the Telugu people in India. In
the 19th century, the ceremony could last
up to sixteen days (Padahaaru Rojula
Panduga). In modern times, it can last two
or more days, depending on the family's
financial and social status. The wedding
ceremonies depend on the caste of the
bride and groom. The pendli or wedding is
considered the strongest of social bonds,
and is said to spiritually merge two souls
opening the doors to gruhastaashramam
(household life).[1] There is a Telugu saying
that "Marriage is supposed to be a family
union and not an individual formality.""

Telugu marriage is sanctified by seven

pledges made by the bride and groom and
begins when the bride and groom have
completed seven revolutions around a
sacred fire. Symbolic gestures and rituals
surround the ceremony and ensure that
the bride and groom are united in the
presence of Panchabhutaalu —five
essential elements for life, namely: Bhumi
(earth), Akaasham (sky), Agni (fire), Neeru
(water) and Vaayuvu (air). The ceremony is
held under a Kaḷyāṇa Maṇḍapaṃ or
wedding pavilion decorated with fresh
flowers. The Nādasvaram (also called the
Shehnai in North India) is an Indian
musical instrument that traditionally
accompanies most Telugu weddings.

Each element in the ceremony is

connected and is given special
importance. Historically, the groom would
ride an elephant to the bride's home where
the wedding is supposed to take place.
This practice is called Gajaarohana. Today
this tradition is declining.[2] Some marriage
ceremonies are held in a temple in the
presence of god, but most are conducted
outside because of the number of people
in attendance. After every ceremony, they
serve food to all the guests, which is also
the main part of the culture of offering
food to anyone who comes on an
auspicious day. It is also a tradition to eat
ice cream or sweets after dinner because
it is considered auspicious. All the rituals
conducted throughout the Telugu wedding
ceremony hold religious significance.
The decorations mostly consist of rich
colourful flowers and mango leaves.
Families renovate their houses and invite
all the guests going to each of their
houses by the use of kumkuma (colourful,
decorative powder).

Pre-wedding customs
The rich and varied cultural heritage of
Telugu speaking people is reflected in the
ceremonies conducted there. Almost all
festivals are celebrated with religious
observances, holding supreme importance
in the lives of the state's residents.

Niśchitārtham ( రం)
Niśchitārtham means engagement. The
two families meet to perform rituals to
make the engagement official. A
muhūrtaṃ (auspicious date & time) for the
wedding is decided based on horoscopes.
The Telugu people generally avoid the
months or a time period where
Aashaadham, Bhadrapadam and Shunya
maasam occurs, because they are
considered inauspicious for the
ceremonies. The couple is then blessed by
elders of both families, and is given gifts
including jewelry and clothing by their new
family. During this ceremony, the bride's
future mother-in-law presents her with
clothes, gold and also silverware, formally
ending the engagement (Niśchitārtham).[3]

Snātakaṃ ( తకం)
Snātakaṃ means "graduation" or "Bath
Graduate" or "Post graduation". It is
usually performed before householder
responsibilities are handed over to the
groom.[2] Snātakaṃ ritual takes place at
the bridegroom’s residence before the
muhūrtaṃ. As a part of this custom, the
groom is asked to wear a silver thread
on his body. The ritual is conducted a
few hours prior to the wedding.
Kāśī Yātra ( త)
 Traditionally, after Snātakaṃ, the groom
will be eligible for higher studies and
eligible to go to Kashi and study further
or become Sanyasi. However, as a pre-
wedding ceremony, the groom pretends
to go to Kashi and says that he has
discarded the worldly pleasures (such
as marriage, relations and properties)
and is no longer interested in leading a
family life. He will then be stopped by
the brother (cousin) of the bride, who
persuades him to assume the
responsibility of a household.

Wedding customs
The rituals conducted by the Telugu
speaking people during the ceremonious
occasion of the wedding are different from
those conducted in neighboring southern
states of India. In Andhra Pradesh, the
Telugu people follow their own traditions
while conducting a wedding. The bride's
maternal uncle and her brother play a
prominent role at the time of her marriage.
Unlike other South Indian weddings, the
muhūrtaṃ in Telugu weddings do not take
place in the morning, but close to
midnight. Telugu Brahmins' wedding
customs differ from the wedding customs
of the other Telugu communities. In
addition to the rituals mentioned below,
their weddings start with rituals common
in South Indian Brahmin weddings like
Punyahavachanam, Niśchitārtham,
Matrukapujanam, etc.[4]

Maṅgaḷa Snānaṃ (మఙళ నం)

As a part of Maṅgaḷa Snānaṃ custom,
the bride and groom are required to take
an auspicious bath on the wedding day.
The aim is to purify them and make
them prepared to perform sacred rites.
This bath is called Abhyangana Snānam
Bridal Makeup
In this ceremony at the bride and
groom's respective houses, all the
relatives and well-wishers gather and
they smear them with turmeric paste
(Nalugu - which is a mixture of flours
and turmeric powder) and oils. This is
done to cleanse their skin, so that it
radiates a natural glow after they bathe.
This is where the actual ceremony
begins. They are given a new set of
clothing to wear and are blessed that
everything goes by well in the
preparation. The bride is told not to go
out of town until the actual wedding
ceremony.
Aarti or Hārati ( ర )
Oil is applied to the bride and groom at
their respective houses. Thereafter, the
family members get together to perform
Aarti. They pray for the bride and groom
to be granted the wisdom to lead their
lives happily.[5]
Ganēśa and Gauri Pūja (గ శ జ ;
జ)
Before the wedding ceremony, the
groom attends the Ganesha and Gowri
pooja, which is conducted at the
maṇḍapaṃ. And the bride does the Gauri
Pūja at the house with all her family
members and relatives attending before
going to the ceremony. It is during this
time that Pravara a ritual of changing the
Bride's gotram (clan) from her paternal
gotram to that of the Groom is
performed. Elderly couples from both
families are required to attend and
witness the Pravara while the bride is
performing Gauri Pūja.
Kanyādānaṃ (క నం)
Kanyādānaṃ is the ceremony in which
the girl's family hands over their
daughter's responsibility to the groom.
During the ceremony, the bride sits in a
bamboo basket. Her maternal uncle
brings her to the maṇḍapaṃ. Until the
completion of the Kanyādānaṃ, the
bride and groom are not allowed to look
at each other and are separated by a
curtain that is placed between them, as
a partition. Thereafter, the bride's
parents wash the groom's feet, as a
gesture of respect because on the day
of wedding the bride groom is
considered as "Lord Vishnu Svarūpaṃ"
or the incarnation of lord Vishnu who
has come to marry their daughter who is
considered as "Devi Lakshmi". The
groom is made to chant "Dharmēca
Arthēca Kamēcha Mokshēca Nāti
Carāmi" three times and assure the
bride's father three times that he will
remain her companion in joy and sorrow
forever.
Paṇigrahaṇaṃ ( గహణం)
This means "holding hands". The groom
holds the hand of the bride. The Mantras
is spoken: "The Devas have offered you
to me in order that I may live the life of a
householder (Gruhasta); we shall not
part from each other."
Jīlakarra Bellaṃ and Madhuparkaṃ
( లక లం ; మధుపర ం)
The priest recites the ślokaṃs from the
Vedas. Then the couple is asked to place
a paste made from cumin seeds and
jaggery on each other’s head. This
custom is referred to as Jīlakarra-
Bellamu. This ceremony is observed to
communicate that the married couple's
relationship is unbreakable and they are
inseparable. This is the actual muhūrtaṃ
time. The ritual (Pravara) of changing
bride's gotram is once performed again
 on the marriage dais in the presence of
the groom and everyone attending the
ceremony. Henceforth, the bride no
longer belongs to the father's gotra, but
now belongs to the groom's.

As a part ofMadhuparkaṃ ritual, the bride

dresses up in a white sari with a red
border. The groom wears a white dhoti
with a red border. White symbolizes purity
and red represents strength.

Sumangaḷi (సుమంగ )
Ten married women (Sumangaḷi)
accompany the bride. Six of the ten
women hold plates containing sacred
rice (a mixture of rice and turmeric
 powder), while the rest of them hold
small lit lamps on their respective
plates. Rice represents abundance,
while the lit lamps symbolize light.
Maṅgaḷasūtra Dhāraṇa

Maṅgaḷasūtra Dhāraṇa means tying

Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ (holy thread). In order to
perform the ritual, the partition between
the bride and groom is removed. Then the
groom ties the two strings of
Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ, each with a golden disc,
around the bride's neck. The
Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ represents the physical,
mental and spiritual union of the couple. In
the Telugu wedding, the groom ties three
knots of Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ.

Akshitalu (అ ంతలు)
In the Akshitalu or Talaṃbrālu ceremony,
the bride and groom exchange garlands.
Married people witnessing this occasion
come forward to bless the couple, by
sprinkling flower petals and rice coated
with turmeric powder.
Saptapadi (సపప )
As a part of the Saptapadi rituals, the
groom and bride walk seven steps
together around the fire, while taking
their oaths of caring, protecting,
understanding, loving and guiding each
other. Only in a Telugu Brahmin marriage
the pallu (edge of the sari) of the bride's
sari is tied to one end of the groom's
scarf (Kanḍuva).
Sthālīpākaṃ ( కం)
Sthālīpākaṃ is a ritual where in the
groom adorns the feet of the bride with
silver toe rings. It is also believed that
the man bends to the woman in order to
claim her as his. Also in order to ward-
off the evil eye, the bride is adorned by a
string of black beads during the
ceremony. These beads, along with the
silver toe rings, symbolize that she is a
married woman. After this, a kunḍa
(decorated silver or terra-cotta vessel)
full of water is placed in front of the
couple, and a ring is put in it. The groom
puts his right hand in and the bride puts
her left hand in and they fish for the ring.
They do this three times and whoever
wins more often is supposed to be the
dominant one in the marriage. This is a
time of fun, because water splashes
everywhere and there are chants and
shouts of support for both sides. Also,
the bride is made to cook (a namesake
meal) on the sacred flame of the
Agnihōtraṃ, symbolizing she is now
responsible for taking care of the health
of her husband and family.
Arundhati Nakshatram (అరుంధ న తం)
Arundhati Nakshatram is a ritual where
bride and groom are shown the stars
representing Arundhati and Vasistha.
These stars represent the perfect couple
complimenting each other. Mizar and
Alcor are two stars forming a double
star that can be seen with the naked eye
in the handle of the Big Dipper (or the
Plough) asterism in the constellation of
Ursa Major. Mizar is the second star
from the end of the Big Dipper's handle,
and Alcor its faint companion. Alcor is
recognized as Arundhadi.
Appagintalu (అప ంతలు)
Appagintalu takes place at the end of the
wedding. This is when the bride is
 traditionally handed off to the groom
and his family.

Post-wedding customs
Gr̥uhapravēśam (గృహప శం)
After the culmination of the wedding
ceremony, the bride is formally taken to
the groom’s house. This is called
Gr̥hapravēśam of the bride. As she steps
into her new home, she is welcomed by
the groom’s family members, including
his mother and closest relatives. The
uniting of Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ takes place
after a fortnight.
In karanam caste, the consummation
takes place depending on tidhi, usually
after a gap of one day. Havan puja is
performed before the time fixed for
physical consummation of the marriage.
Satyanārāyaṇa Vratam (సత యణ
వతం)
Satyam means "truth" and Narayana
means "the highest being" so
Satyanārāyaṇa means "The highest
being who is an embodiment of Truth".
The Satyanārāyaṇa Vratam is very
popular in Andhra Pradesh India.
Satyanārāyaṇa Vratam is performed by
bride and groom after Gr̥hapravēśam in
the groom's residence. This pūja (ritual)
is first mentioned in the Skanda Purana,
Reva Kanḍa by Sūta Mahāmuni to the
 r̥shis in the Naimisharaṇya (ancient
forest). The details are part of the Katha
("story") that is usually read after the
pūja. The Satyanārāyaṇa pūja/vratam
can be performed on any day except on
the new moon.

[[1] ]

Uniting the Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ

Gr̥uhapravēśam is followed by a
ceremony, wherein the Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ is
united. As a customary, the Telugu
speaking people unite the two
Maṅgaḷasūtraṃs (which was tied by the
groom around the bride’s neck), on a
common thread. This ritual is done
 sixteen days after the wedding. This
ritual can be performed by either the
groom or an elderly member of the
family. A few black or golden beads are
slipped between the two 'plates' of the
Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ, so that they do not
clash with each other. The unison of
Maṅgaḷasūtraṃ signifies the harmony
between the two families. After the
ceremony is over, the bride takes a bath
and wears a new sari.

References
1. "Archived copy" . Archived from the
original on 2013-05-29. Retrieved
2013-05-23.
2. Müller, Friedrich Max (1987). The
Sacred Books of the East . 2.
Clarendon. Archived from the original
on 2017-03-02. Retrieved 28 June
2019.
3. http://oiss.rice.edu/WorkArea/linkit.as
px?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=854
4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived
(PDF) from the original on 2012-07-22.
Retrieved 2013-05-23.
5. "Archived copy" . Archived from the
original on 2012-10-10. Retrieved
2012-10-04.
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